


Cold

by worldturnedupsidedown



Series: Woobie Bingo [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Gen, Missing Scene, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 03:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8188798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worldturnedupsidedown/pseuds/worldturnedupsidedown
Summary: Sasuke is injured and cold in Orochimaru's lair and tells himself not to think of his team.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Done for the Woobie Bingo on the Imzy comm! Squares: open wounds, isolation and blankets (could also include obsession square as well).

Sasuke hissed as he drew in on himself, the wounds on his back tugging, but he found himself unable to stop himself curling up like a child. He should be able to stop, he had more discipline than this but not doing it left him feeling too exposed, despite how ridiculous that was. He shivered, the dungeon where his room was, was cold but he was alone and safe for the night. At least, the traps he had quickly learned to set up meant he was safe for the night, no more waking up on Kabuto's table drugged and already sliced open. 

Kabuto had really outdone himself today, searing the skin off Sasuke's back when he was in the cursed seal form and observing the healing. Sasuke was sure Kabuto didn't care about helping Sasuke become stronger, as long as the body was as healthy for Orochimaru as possible, and for him to pretend otherwise made him even more odious to Sasuke.

The skin burned and the air was slowly becoming bitingly cold as the sun set and what little warmth Orochimaru's lair had managed to retain seeped out of the rock. Sasuke shivered and finally gave into the urge to pull a blanket around himself. He let himself miss his mother's hugs for a moment, their warmth and power to make everything just a little better, and he let the pain of grief stir up his hatred towards Itachi just a little more. You could never have enough hatred and it drew his attention away from the numerous pains in his body.

Without his permission, thoughts of his mother dissolved into thoughts of his old teammates. They hadn't touched him much, outside of sparring, yet being with them had felt similar to being with his mother. The same feeling of stillness, of peace, would fill him and he would have to force himself to push the feeling away. He was an avenger and needed to never forget that.

But, just for a moment, he let himself remember. He wondered what Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were doing now. Were they still together as a team? Finding a way to continue being one when he wasn't there; something in Sasuke rebelled at the thought. No, they weren't being a team, he decided. Naruto was off racing to catch up to Sasuke, Kakashi was probably made to take more missions now his genin team were split, and Sakura... he wasn't sure what Sakura would be doing.

Sasuke pulled the blanket around him tighter, the wounds in his back forgotten as he tried to picture what Sakura would be doing. He may not have been very close to her, or any of them, but they were his team and the nearest thing he got to a family since his real family was murdered. She wouldn't sit around and wait for him to come back, old Sakura might of, but the Sakura after the Forest of Death had a new resolve to her eye. As long as she never surpassed him, he could handle her getting stronger. She wasn't supposed to, she was meant to remain weak and stay at the back of the group where she could be protected and there was no risk of her being hurt (Kakashi with the thousand jutsu and Naruto with the strange chakra and unbelievable luck wouldn't be killed either), but it would be good if she got stronger. A little bit only. None of what Naruto did with his new jutsu.

He had to beat him. If Sasuke could beat Naruto, who got stronger seemingly faster than anyone else ever, then he could beat his brother. He had to win, and Kakashi with his 'teammates first' motto didn't seem to understand that. He had lost his family once to Itachi, he wasn't going to allow it again. He had to get stronger and if Orochimaru and Kabuto were the way to go, he would pay the price gladly.

It was still hard to remember this though when he curled up in his bed, the wounds on his back burning steadily and the cold air biting at his cheeks. If he could do what he wanted, if he lived in a world where Itachi was still his big brother who looked at him with kind and regretful eyes, he would want to be with his team. Getting ramen together at Ichiraku's stand and trying to catch a glimpse of Kakashi's face under his mask, and then going to bed in a place that was warm and pain-free. If Sasuke could choose freely, without having the ghosts of his parents and family watching over his shoulder and asking for justice, he would choose his team.

Sasuke ignored the tears making his face wet as he closed his eyes and imagined he was sitting at the ramen stand. Sakura on one side and Naruto on the other, with Kakashi reading that ridiculous book at the end. He imagined their voices, Sakura's high-pitched, Naruto's boisterous and loud, while Kakashi's were slow, almost a drawl. The words weren't important, but the voices were.

Sasuke fell asleep to the sound of his team in his ears.


End file.
